Should Christmas Do Away With Santa Claus?

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If one German Catholic group has its way, the Christmas holiday will be a “Santa-free zone.”

Reuters reports that the Bonifatiuswerk of German Catholics, a Catholic aid organization, have set out to establish these “zones” during the shopping season, and have brought celebrities to their cause. They argue that St. Nicolas, historically, stood for traits like helping one’s neighbor and being kind. Santa Claus, they say, is a marketing creation that tells children to reach for material possessions.

On paper, this makes sense. Christmas should be about giving, not about a fat man in a red suit shimmying down your chimney and giving you presents. But the jolly old guy is such a part of Christmas culture that we don’t see him fading away to the North Pole any time soon.